Ashtray



March 7, 19 1 Y B. K. MILBOURNE 2,973,766

ASHTRAY Filed June 5, 1959 v V IN V EN TOR.

BENJAM/N K M/LBQURNE AT/14% w A T TORNEVS V arette butts are completelyextinguished invention.

' Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line.44 of Fig- The tray is'equipped with a handle, 10.

2,973,766 ASHTRAY Benjamin K. Milbourne, 319 Winchester Road, San Jose, Calif.

Filed June 5, 1959, $61. No. 818,372 2 Claims. (or. 131-235 This invention relates to a self-snufling cigarette device and, more particularly, relates to any ash tray which is adapted for use in automobiles and for ash trays for other use.

As is well-known, some ash trays for automobiles have heretofore been unsatisfactory. The main source of difficulty is that many conventional ash trays provide no satisfactory means for thoroughly extinguishing a cigarette. Thus, a number of butts will collect in an ash tray and, upon putting out a subsequent cigarette, an 'ash will fall into the collection of butts, setting the ashtray on fire. This causes atleast an unpleasant smell for the occupants of the car and may constitute an actual hazard. There is also the possibility of burning the fingers when putting out a cigarette.

It is an object of the present invention to provide for an ash tray a snuffer of simple construction wherein cigbefore they are deposited in the tray proper.

Another object of the invention is to provide a snulfer of simple mechanical construction with relatively few moving parts.

Other objects will be apparent from the balance of the specification, which follows.

In the drawings forming a part of this application:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through an automobile dashboard, showing a preferred embodiment of the ash tray of the present invention in the retracted position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showingan ash tray in the extended position.

"Figure 3 is a plan view of the ash tray of the present ure3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig-- ure 4.

' V Figure 6 is asectional view, similar to Figure 4, but

showing theposition of the parts when a cigarette is discharged from the snufler and into the ash tray.

Figure 7 is a section on the lines 77 of'Figure 6. Figure 8 is a detail elevation showing an alternate manner of fastening the. snufferinto an ashtray.

Turning to a description of the drawing by reference characters, an ash tray on which the snuffer of the-present invention can be applied has been generally designated 9 and comprises a drawer-like memberll, which is adapted to slide between the guides 13'and 15, which may be conventionally provided .in automobile dashboard 17. Preferably, the front portion of the guide 13 is raised asat 19, for reasons which will be apparent.

The ash tray proper is equipped with a transverse. rod

--2l, extending between the side members 12'of the ash in, 27, through which a cigarette can pass freely. Slot 27 constitutes less than half of the circumference of the tubular member 23. Mounted for rotation in the cylindrical member 23 is a rod-like member, 29, which is somewhat longer than the member 23 so that it extends beyond the member 23, as at 31. One end of the redlike member 29 hasan annular groove 33 formed therein. The tube 23 has a hole. 24 transversely therethrough but off-center and the rod 21 passes through the hole 24 in the tube 23 and also lies in the annular groove 33. This holds the parts in assembled relationship yet allows-the free turning of the rod 29 with respect to the tube 23. The rod 29 also has a groove 35 throughout most of its length, but which terminates short of the annular groove 33, said groove 35 being of sufiicient size to receive a cigarette when in assembled relationship with the tube 23.

A fiat spring 37 extends from the back of'the tube 23 to the rear portion of the ash tray 11 so that the tube assembly is normally urged upwardly. Thus, when the ash tray is pulled out, the spring 37 causes the tube astray, on which is pivoted a tubular member 23. The

tubular member 23 has an inside diametersomewhat j larger than the diameter of a conventional cigaretteg and .the bottom portion of the cylindrical member is cut away-for-most of its length, as at- 25, leaving a slot there- 'mounted whereby in a first position a. cigarette may be sembly to tilt upwardly to a convenient angle, as is shown in Figure 2, while when the ash tray is retracted, the cam action of the part 19 causes the tube assembly to move downwardly into the ash tray, as is shown in Figure 1.

Instead of pivoting the snuffer in an ash tray, other fastening means can be employed. For instance, in Figure 8, the tube 23 is provided with a recess 24 into which a coil spring 26 is fastened; the spring can be clipped over the side or back of an ash tray. The coil spring may be fastened into recess 24 by a weld or merely by having a friction fit.

To use the device, the ash trayis pulled out and the rod 29 is rotated to the position shown in Figures 4 and 5, and the lit end of a cigarette, 39, is inserted through the open end of rod 29 into the groove 35. As will be apparent from Figure 4, the burning portion of the cigarette is thus placed in a confined space with substantially no access to air. If the cigarette is left in this position for a few seconds, it will be thoroughly extinguished and it is then only necessary to rotate the rod 29 with the fingers to the position shown in Figures 6 and 7, and the extinguished cigarette 41 will be discharged into the bottom of the ash tray.

Although this invention has been described in conjunction with an ash tray for use in a vehicle, it isquite obvious that the principle here described can be used in many other environments.

I claim:

1. A cigarette snuifer consisting of a unitary structure including 'a tubular member open at one end and having a slot therein, said slot being of sufficient size to allow a cigarette to pass freely therethrough but constituting less than half the circumference of the tubular member;

a smaller rod-like member mounted for rotation in the yond the open end of said tubular member, said unitary structurebeing mounted for pivotal action on a trans-' verse rod, said rod being mounted on the sides of an ash tray, there being an annular groove in said rod-like member, said groove providing a receptacle for said transverse rod when said unitary structure is rotated; a

second groove in said rod-like member, said second groove terminating short of said annular groove and being of sufficient size to receive a cigarette at its open end when in assembled relationshipwith the said tubular member, said unitary, rotatable structure being so groove 1s lined up with said slot in said tubular member and the cigarette discharged through said slot.

2. The unitary structure of claim 1 wherein said structure is mounted in a vehicle ash tray of the sliding drawer type, said vehicle having a panel having guides for said sliding drawer ash tray, one of said guides having an upturned front end, said structure bearing against a spring extending from the tubular member to a wall of said ash tray and being secured thereto, said spring urging the unitary structure upwardly when said ash tray 10 is drawn o ut on said guides and downwardly by the cam action of the said upturned front end into the ash tray when said ash tray is retracted into the dashboard of a vehicle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

